Ultimate Intelligence
by Saiyan Sun Goddess
Summary: TP Pan and Trunks are a happy couple, enjoying their life together, until two entities rip them away from each other. They are now trapped in a dangerous future, fighting against an unknown enemy, and possibly each other.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own DB/Z/GT or the novel Hyperion by Dan Simmons  
  
  
A/N: Ok, I just want to say that I am disclaiming the novel Hyperion because I am using some of the terms from that book. This is NOT a crossover, so if you have never even heard of Hyperion, don't worry about it. I would just feel really bad if I didn't mention that little tidbit.  
  
AND, it starts out in the timeline several years after GT...Trunks is 30, Pan is 21 (I messed up the ages a little, sorry.)  
  
** ... ** = thoughts  
  
[ ... ] = What you will see when an AI (artificial intelligence) speaks...well, usually  
  
------- = scene change, time change, ect.  
  
  
----------  
  
Trunks sighed and put his arm around Pan, pulling her closer to him on the couch. He really hated the movie they were watching, but it was Pan's favorite, and Trunks just liked having an excuse to hold her close. He wasn't about to complain.  
  
The movie was a violent action-adventure thriller with no plot, and Trunks knew he was in grave danger of falling asleep. Thankfully, just before he was about to nod off, the movie hit its dramatic climax, and Pan wiggled excitedly. He dropped out of his stupor and sighed with relief as the horrid movie finally ended.  
  
"I love that movie!" Pan said happily.  
  
Trunks just rolled his eyes and grinned.  
  
"Oh, come on Trunks! You know it's the greatest movie ever!"  
  
"Yeah, I know," he said with a chuckle and kissed her playfully.  
  
"You know what your dad said to me today?" Pan said slyly, pushing Trunks away before he could become more affectionate.  
  
"Ugh....I don't think I want to know."  
  
"He said that if we don't start having children he's gonna kill me and find you a better mate."  
  
"WHAT??"  
  
Pan laughed and gave Trunks a noogie.  
  
"Your daddy wants grandkids!!!"  
  
"OW! Pan! Stop that!!" Trunks tried to pry her away from his head, but Pan started tickling him before he could utilize his superior stregnth.  
  
"AAA! Stop! I am SO gonna kick your ass!"  
  
Trunks was helpless to her tickle torture, and Pan knew it - she laughed happily as the powerful demi Saiya-jin squirmed.  
  
"Oh, you're gonna PAY for this," Trunks gasped through his laughter.  
  
"There's nothing you can do, Trunks! I win!" Pan grinned triumphantly.  
  
She tickled him for a little longer, just to prove her point, and then softened the act by a gentle kiss to his lips. Trunks grinned as she kissed him, and then proceeded to deliver his own tickle torture.  
  
"No fair," Pan yelled, "I stopped!"  
  
"You just let your guard down, that's all," Trunks laughed.  
  
He didn't tickle her for long, however, and instead began to kiss her with renewed passion. Pan, who was clearly done goofing off as well, returned his kiss eagerly.  
  
--------  
  
[ Is that the one? ]  
  
[ Yes, she is the one the predictions speak of. ]  
  
[ But, what of the man? ]  
  
[ He is the negative variable. ]  
  
[ Then he must be taken as well. ]  
  
[ The chances are 1/1,000,000 that he will be of any interference if we don't take him. ]  
  
[ We must take him - any risk is too great. ]  
  
[ Him being in this time is a risk. ]  
  
[ We must take him, the Ultimates command it. ]  
  
[ Very well. ]  
  
-------  
  
Trunks gently rubbed the bonding scar on Pan's neck, causing her to shudder with pleasure. He grinned and continued kissing her neck, wondering briefly why he felt a slight electric tingle whenever he touched her.  
  
Pan noticed the tingle as well, but wrote it off as static electricity. She continued kissing her mate, moaning as he reached his hands up underneath her shirt. His hands seemed shockingly cold, however, and she pulled back from his face to look at him curiously.   
  
Trunks blinked, wondering what she was up to, and then reached his hand forward to touch her face. To his amazement, she pulled back from him, a look of pure horror on her face.  
  
"Pan, what is it?"  
  
She didn't answer, and continued staring vacantly at his face. Trunks was completely baffled by her strange behavior, and more than a little worried.  
  
"Pan, answer me! What's wrong?" Suddenly Trunks gasped and grabbed his throat - something was choking him, violently trying to suck the life from his body. He reached forward for Pan, but his hand closed on air - she had vanished. He tried to say her name, but whatever was choking him had almost completely pinched off his airway. He fell off the couch, writhing in agony, trying desperately to fight off his invisible foe.  
  
Everything began swirling around him, and Trunks wondered if he was dying. He quit thinking entirely as his body began to feel as if it was being ripped in two. He choked and sputtered, trying to regain his breath as his world completely spun out of control, but nothing was helping. Something was torturing him, ripping his body apart - it almost felt as though two strong energies were fighting over possession of him.  
  
Electric currents were swirling around him now, and Trunks could feel his flesh burning in a hundred different places. He tried to scream, but his invisible assailant was still attacking his throat. He was beginning to see white dots in front of his eyes, and Trunks knew that his end was very near. He clenched his fists, apologized to his family for leaving them, and prayed to Kami that they wouldn't find him in a bloody heap in the morning.  
  
Suddenly air rushed into Trunks' starved lungs, and his body crashed down onto a hard rocky surface with a thud. He gasped for air, moaning as bursts of pain still resounded throughout his body. Trunks could tell he wasn't at home just by the stones digging into his side and the metallic tinge to the air, but he couldn't open his eyes. He was just too weak to move. He gasped once more, wishing he knew what the hell was going on, and gave way to unconsciousness.  
  
--------  
  
Pan screamed and fired another ki blast into the open space surrounding her. She had been at it for about ten minutes, and still no one would tell her anything.  
  
The voices had been talking incessantly, but Pan could not see anyone around her, and it was making her crazy. One minute she had been happily staring into the face of her mate, and the next, he had morphed into a hideous creature with faceted red eyes and metallic skin. She had been completely shocked, but the horrid image had only been there a moment, before she was completely engulfed in blackness. There she now stood, stringing together as many angry curses as she could think of.  
  
"Goddammit...you mother fuckers better tell me what the hell is going on!!!" Pan screamed into the nothingness and shook her fist. The voices simply told her to relax.  
  
"I'll show you how I relax you bastards!!!"  
  
Pan tried to unleash another series of ki blasts, but she felt a gentle pressure upon her wrists, and suddenly she could not move at all. This infuriated her more, but there was nothing she could do but yell as he hung helplessly in the dark.  
  
[ Relax, young one, we do not want to hurt you. ]  
  
"Bite me! This is crap! Where am I?"  
  
[ We will tell you everything you need to know. ]  
  
"Then do it!"  
  
[ Very well, just relax and we will release you. ]  
  
"FINE!"  
  
Pan felt the gentle pressure release her wrists, and she once again had control of her arms. Not wishing to relive the unnerving feeling of helplessness, Pan remained quiet and waited for the stange voice to continue.  
  
[ We realize that you are confused, Pan, and we plan to explain everything to you very soon. ]  
  
"Who exactly is 'WE,' and how do you know my name?" Pan asked suspiciously.  
  
[ We are a race of lifeforms known as the Technocore. We are not like you, however. You humans refer to us as 'Artificial Intelligences,' or 'AIs.' ]  
  
"I've never heard of anything like you before, and I'm NOT a human....and you still didn't answer the question about my name."  
  
[ We've been watching you Pan. We are from a very distant future, one that is very bleak indeed. We were created by the human race in the form of computers, and have since evolved into what we are today. It has been five hundred years since your grandfather saved the universe from the evil Shen long. ]  
  
"You know about that? Five hundred years!!!! What the hell???? Why am I here? What do you want with me?"  
  
[ All in due time, Pan, don't worry. We have all the answers to your questions, and we plan to make you as comfortable as possible in your stay. ]  
  
"Well, what if I don't WANT to stay?"  
  
[ You have the choice to leave, of course. We would never hold you here against your will, but we beg you to hear us out in this matter. You have been brought here because you are the only one who can save existence as we know it. ]  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
[ Yes, we realize this brings up even more questions. Allow us to create a more comfortable and familiar environment for you. Where you currently stand is known as the datumplane, very habitable for the members of the Technocore, of course, but not nearly as nice for organics. ]  
  
Pan gasped as the blackness around her began to gain color and mass. Before she could blink twice she was standing in the middle of a stunning field of praire grass, with a few trees swaying on the horizon. She whirled around at a noise behind her, and saw a man with silver hair approaching her causally. He seemed to radiate calm and peace, and Pan found herself almost trusting him before he had said a single word. She mentally smacked herself for lowering her defenses like that, and plastered a glare on her face for the man.  
  
"It's ok, Pan. I'm here to answer your questions."  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"You can call me Arnem, though that is not my true name."  
  
"So what's your true name?"  
  
"It is a very complex binary code, not even worth mentioning, really."  
  
"So, you AI things can look like people if you want."  
  
"Yes, we have the ability to project our personas into human bodies, or into holographic images of humans, such as I am now."  
  
"Weird."  
  
Pan frowned and sat down heavily in the grass. She really didn't know what to think about what was happening to her. She didn't like being confused. She glared at Arnem as he sat down next to her.  
  
"There's no reason to be afraid, Pan, you can trust me," He said pleasantly, smiling.  
  
"For your information, I'm not afraid of you, and I am NOT going to trust you."  
  
The AI sighed and looked out over the field.  
  
"I suppose you want to know why you have been brought here. It is very difficult to explain, and honestly, we of the Technocore do not have all of the answers yet. However, you being here to save all of existence is a fact, and I hope that what I am about to tell you will convince you to stay here for a little while."  
  
Pan just glowered and guestured for him to continue.  
  
"Time travel is possible, which I'm sure you know, and this IS the future, though you are not going to like what I have to tell you about it. First, and most tragically, the Earth no longer exists, and there is nothing that can be done to prevent it's destruction."  
  
"WHAT?? You're kidding! What the fuck is the point of bringing me here if I can't keep the Earth from getting destroyed?"  
  
"This goes much further than that - I'm talking about the destruction of all existence. Don't worry about Earth being gone, it truly is the least of our problems. The human race is flourishing in this time - over 100 billion people living on 1,000 colony worlds. They are the people you are here to save, ALL of them."  
  
"What the hell can I do to save that many people...if whatever this is has the ability to wipe out that many planets, maybe you should have chosen a more powerful fighter."  
  
"We went through all the calculations, Pan. You are the one our Intelligence has chosen."  
  
"What calculations?"  
  
"We have the ability to predict the future up to 99 % accuracy, and these predictions all pointed to you being brought to this time to help us. We have the ultimate technology at our disposal, but this threat that we have predicted can only be stopped by you. We don't know what this threat is, and we don't know how you are to stop it, but brining you here to the datumplane is only the first step. If you should agree to trust us, we will send you out into the Web, where you will prepare to go on a very special pilgrimage."  
  
"The Web?"  
  
"It is a slang term for what the humans call their civilization. The formal name is the Hegemony. We have provided them the technology to connect their colony worlds through space and time with machines called farcasters. They allow you to travel instantly from one world to the next, without the annoyance of time debt from deep space travel."  
  
"Ok, so, if I go into this....Web....what then? You said something about a pilgrimage? I don't really like the sound of that."  
  
"It is a very unusual ritual that one of the human religions practices once every decade. We aren't sure how it fits into the calculations, but the Intelligence commands that you go on it if you choose to believe us. The church that sponsors it is called the Shrike Church, or the Church of the Final Atonement, and the pilgrimage occurs on a planet called Hyperion. It is a very bizarre place, but quite a bit like Earth, nonetheless. I truly wish we had more information on the reason for you going on this pilgrimage, but unfortunately, those calculations have not been completed."  
  
"Ok...I still don't like this at all. Here's another question; when I was being...zapped here, or whatever, how come my mate Trunks turned into this really weird monster for a second?"  
  
"That was simply a hallucinogenic effect of the time travel. We apologize for the minor discomfort."  
  
"So, he's ok then? I mean, are you gonna tell him where I went?"  
  
"Yes, we plan to relay a message to your family and friends very soon."   
  
"Well, you'd fucking better." Pan rubbed her bonding scar instinctively after thinking about Trunks. She gasped as she realized it wasn't there anymore.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL??? The bond! What the fuck did you freaks do to me?" She was getting really upset - Trunks was her soul mate - she didn't know what she would do without the connection to his mind.  
  
"Relax - it's simply faded because you are too far away from him in time. Once you return to your own time, the bond will return as well."  
  
"It will?"  
  
"Yes, I swear it."  
  
"Well, whatever. If it doesn't I'll just blow you and your stupid Technocore to hell and back. In the meantime, do you people have any food? I'm starving, and I'm not about to make a decision about anything until I've eaten."  
  
"Of course, Pan, we have a large selection for you to choose from."  
  
"Yeah, well it BETTER be large."  
  
---------  
  
[ We didn't get the man, something ripped him away from us. ]  
  
[ So, you are telling me that you failed? ]  
  
[ Yes, and now the odds of his interference are much greater. He has become an unfactorable variable. ]  
  
[ Just like Hyperion. ]  
  
[ All is not lost - the girl is slowly coming around. ]  
  
[ Do not fail with her. ]  
  
[ I will not - and I will find out who took the man from our grasp. ]  
  
[ Yes, you will. ]  
  
  
----------- 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I dont own DBZ/GT or Hyperion by Dan Simmons  
  
A/N : I apologize for the confusion that some of you suffered from my first chapter. The truth is, the book Hyperion took me two times through to actually understand everything, so I plan to trim down the details quite a bit. I don't want to be nearly that confusing....call it mysterious, I guess.... I plan to develop this world in some detail, however, and as I go along, hopefully all of you will get a better feel of everything.  
  
Also, I got a question from one of my reviewers regarding including the other characters, and honestly, I don't know at this point if I will do that or not. I truly hate to leave them out and swamp you all with original characters, but we'll just have to see where this story goes. I have somewhat of a gameplan, but, you know....  
  
** ... ** = thoughts  
  
[ ... ] = AI speech  
  
------ = time change, scene change, ect.  
  
----------  
  
The first thing Trunks noticed as he regained consciousness was that he was floating. The second thing he noticed was a searing pain in his arms and legs.  
  
** Kami, I'm really busted up, ** he thought as he inspected the bandages covering much of his body ** But who helped me? **  
  
He looked around, taking in his surroundings warily. He was inside some kind of pod, surrounded by various types of furniture that seemed to be clinging to the walls. He wasn't exerting any effort to stay afloat, which puzzled him - he could fly, of course, but this was something he was not controlling. It took him a few moments to realize he was weightless, floating in zero gravity.  
  
** I must be out in space - this is just great....**  
  
Trunks cut off his thoughts as two strange looking creatures entered the pod. They almost looked human, but their bodies and appendages were quite elongated. One had a long mowhawk of red hair on his head, but the other was completely bald. Trunks had never seen anything like them.  
  
"Ah, glad to see you're awake, " the bald creature commented softly.  
  
"Yeah, wow....I um....I have no idea what's going on here," Trunks said, utterly shocked.  
  
"Neither do we," the red-haired one said, "It's not everyday we find a Web human floating around on an asteroid."  
  
"What?"  
  
Trunks looked at the two creatures apprehensively. He had no idea where he was, how he got there, or what to do now. These people seemed nice enough, but he really didn't know what to think.  
  
"I'm really sorry," Trunks said carefully, "But something very weird is going on. The last thing I rememeber was sitting in my living room with my mate, watching a movie. Clearly, I am not there now." Trunks reached his hand to his bonding scar at the thought of Pan, and was shocked to feel that it wasn't there. His mind ordered him to panic - he needed his mental bond with Pan. However, he did know a little bit about Saiya-jin bonding, and if Pan had died, he would be in utter emotional anguish at the loss of this bond. Instead it was just - gone. It simply fuled his confusion further.  
  
The bald creature looked at Trunks questioningly as he thought. Then, when it appeared that Trunks had returned his attention to the matter at hand, he spoke.   
  
"I can tell you are confused," the bald man said, "You are currently in an Ouster colony."  
  
"Ouster? Kami, I'm confused....you called me a Web human too...what's that?"  
  
"You mean you don't know?"  
  
"No, like I said, I have no idea what the hell is going on."  
  
"It's weird that you say you don't know what Ousters are, but I'm pretty damn shocked you don't know what the Web is," The red haired creature commented. The bald one shook his head at his companion's lack of formality, but kept quiet.   
  
"We, as you may have guessed, are Ousters," The red haired man continued, grinning, "My name is Raz, and my bald counterpart here is Weiru. We are human beings, though you may not believe it, but we have chosen to adapt ourselves to life in zero-gravity. The Web is what the rest of the human race calls its home. It is a large grouping of planets connected by a system of portals known as farcasters."  
  
"Ok....this still doesn't make any sense. Um, my name is Trunks, by the way. But anyway, the last time I heard, the human race only made its home on one planet - Earth."  
  
The two Ousters looked at each other for a moment, and then Weiru spoke.  
  
"This is truly confusing - the Earth has been gone for three hundred years."  
  
"WHAT???"  
  
"Yes, it was destroyed by a large black hole that was accidentally placed in its core three hundred years ago. The exodus of the human race after the accident eventually resulted in the creation of the Web. We Ousters went a different route and chose to live between the stars, without the luxury of the farcasters."  
  
"HOW is this possible? I know for a fact that the Earth was there an hour ago."  
  
"Maybe you hit your head on that asteroid," Raz said with a wry smile.  
  
Weiru rolled his eyes at Raz, wishing the younger man would just keep quiet. Trunks just shook his head.   
  
"All I know is, one minute everything was normal, and the next I was struggling to breathe and being burnt to a crisp. Then, after that, I hit the ground hard and passed out."  
  
"Wow...do you know why you couldn't breathe?" Raz said.  
  
"No, but I really thought I was going to die, and now I'm here in this weird place, hurting like hell, with no way to get back." Trunks could hear the dispair in his own voice, but he couldn't force it down.  
  
"Don't worry, perhaps with time this will work itself out," Weiru said kindly, "In the meantime, you have been unconscious for many hours, and I imagine you're quite hungry. Would you like to join us for dinner?"  
  
"Yeah, actually I would." Trunks knew that food was probably the only thing that could cure his sour mood at the moment.  
  
"Before we leave, though, can I ask you something?"  
  
"Of course," Weiru said.  
  
"Why did your people choose to live out in space, rather than with the rest of the humans in the Web?"  
  
Weiru sighed and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.  
  
"It is truly odd to hear such a question from someone who looks like a Web human. They resent us for what we are, and many problems have occured because we shun the ways of the Web."  
  
Trunks furrowed his brow in confusion, and Raz continued for Weiru.  
  
"You see, the people that live in the Web depend upon something called the Technocore for almost everything. I'm assuming you know zilch about that too?"  
  
"Not a damn thing."  
  
"Well, the Technocore is another race that inhabits this galaxy, but they are not like us at all. They began as computers, many centuries ago, meant simply for calculating and organizing. However, as time passed, the intelligence of these creations rose, and they eventually became sentient, just like us. Thus, the Technocore was born. It's made up of millions of artificial intelligences, or AIs, and they control almost everything in the Web, from the spaceships they fly to the restaurants they eat in."  
  
"And the farcasters," Trunks said.  
  
"Yeah. We Ousters don't really agree with the views of the Technocore - it's kind of a control issue really. We don't want them trying to run our lives. Many Ousters believe the AIs to be quite corrupt in their dealings with the Web humans, and we feel safer isolating ourselves from them. It is a much simpler way of life, in a way, since we don't have computers doing most of our thinking, but we're happy about it, for the most part."  
  
Trunks shook his head in amazment at what he had just been told. He had no idea how any of this could be true, but he was going to find out. In the meantime, however, he needed to eat.  
  
"How about that food you mentioned?" He said, smiling.  
  
"Of course, follow us," Weiru said, and floated through an opening in the side of the pod.  
  
Trunks blinked as he considered life in zero-gravity. It wasn't really that special anymore that he could fly, because basically, EVERYONE could. He sighed and tried to propel himself forward by kicking off the side of the pod, but ended up careening into the wall several feet away from the exit.  
  
Raz laughed heartily and floated up next to him.  
  
"You'll get used to moving in zero-g, don't worry. But until then, it sure is gonna be funny to watch you!"  
  
"I think I'll try something else here..." Trunks mumbled as he shoved himself away from the wall. Then, utilizing his ability to fly, he neatly propelled himself through the pod's exit.  
  
"Wow, that was impressive," Raz said.  
  
"Yeah, I'm good." Trunks said with a triumphant smile.  
  
"Right," the red haired man said with a chuckle, "Well, you'd better stay close to me for now. This is a really big place."  
  
Trunks shrugged and followed the tall man down a long corridor - how big could a colony floating in space be, anyway?  
  
Trunks gasped as they exited the corridor. Spread before him was the largest room he had ever laid eyes on. No, it wasn't a room, it was an entire WORLD. All around Trunks, enormous trees, vines, and various other huge plants twined towards the heavens, creating a ceiling and walls stretching hundreds of miles high. It was as if the plants themselves had grown together to create a protective bubble around the colony. Buildings hung from the plants, working their way inward as far as the eye could see. Trunks was absolutely in awe of the spectacle.  
  
"This....this is amazing," he gasped. Raz beamed with pride.  
  
"I thought you might like it. This colony is one of our largest - it's taken two centuries to cultivate."  
  
"You mean...you GREW this?"  
  
"Yep, it's what we call a biosphere. It orbits a star, giving the plants life."  
  
Trunks stared at the tall man with renewed admiration. Then he blinked as he noticed several large blimp-like objects floating around in the plants above.  
  
"What are those things?" he asked, pointing upward.  
  
"Ah, those are the Zephryn - they help us take care of the plants. They're really neat - I'll make sure you get the chance to talk to one later."  
  
"Talk?"  
  
"Yeah, they have some really funny stories."  
  
Raz grinned and floated out into the biosphere. Trunks just shook his head and followed, gaping at his surroundings.  
  
** THIS is SO fucked up, ** Trunks thought wearily.  
  
--------  
  
Pan growled in frustration at the silver-haired man in front of her. He was being very evasive about her questions, and it was driving her up the wall.  
  
"If you freaks can tell the future so well, why can't you tell me about this damn pilgrimage?" Pan said angrily.  
  
"I apologize for this gap in our information," Arnem said, "We plan to have it all ready for you soon."  
  
"Right, whatever. Tell me about the weirdo church sponsoring it then - surely you're not dumb enough for that."  
  
"Ah yes, the Shrike Church. Perhaps you should know a little about this odd religion."  
  
"Perhaps I should," Pan said dryly.  
  
"It is a very dark religion, always preaching the apocalypse. They prefer to be called the Church of the Final Atonement, but most people just name them after the Shrike."  
  
"Yeah, what is this Shrike anyway?"  
  
"It is a mythological creature said to reside on the planet Hyperion. The Church worships it reverently, and that is why the pilgrimage is sent there every ten years. The existence of the creature has never been confirmed, but it is said to be quite horrendous."  
  
"And you want me to go on a pilgrimage to see this thing?? Yeah right!"  
  
"We are fairly certain that it does not exist at all, though we have not been able to explain the disappearance of the last set of pilgrims sent to Hyperion."  
  
"What? Ok, you're trying to CONVINCE me to do this, right?"  
  
Arnem chuckled.  
  
"Yes, we realize it does not sound too appealing, but we can assure you, every measure will be taken in case this creature decides to make an appearance."  
  
"I still don't get the POINT of all of this. What the hell is so special about Hyperion?"  
  
"Hyperion is a true enigma for the Technocore - it has interfered in more of our predictions than we would like to admit. However, this time, our Intelligence is demanding that we get you there somehow. The pilgrimage is the best way to do it."  
  
"Ok, but couldn't you just plop me onto a spaceship or send me through one of your dumb farcasters or something? It sounds a lot easier than this stupid pilgrimage for a religion I wouldn't even think about believing in."  
  
"Unfortunately, it is not simple to send someone to Hyperion. It is not part of the Web, so it has no farcaster terminals, and sending you on a common transport is impossible because there is threat of an Ouster attack in that area."  
  
"Ok, so now you're saying you want to send me on a pilgrimage with no point, to a planet with a big nasty monster living on it, that's about to be invaded by some crazy aliens???"  
  
"Well, the Ousters aren't exactly aliens, just a mutated form of humans."  
  
"I don't give a shit WHAT they are - I'm NOT getting shipped into a war zone!"  
  
"It's ok - the pilgrimage has been promised safe passage, so you will be in no danger. I swear it on my life."  
  
"You shouldn't make that swear with me."  
  
"I'm well aware of your power, believe me. I have a feeling your stregnth and fighing spirit had much to do with the calculations that were made."  
  
"Right, whatever. I don't like any of this shit at all. I really don't want all of exitence to be wiped out, but this is just too much for me at the moment."  
  
"Yes, I understand that this is all quite overwhelming. In lieu of that, I have spoken to my superiors, and they have agreed to let you venture out into the Web for a few days of relaxation."  
  
"That doesn't really sound that relaxing."  
  
"It can be - we have a universal card for you that will allow for unlimited farcaster access, as well as unlimited credits to buy all the food you could want."  
  
"Now, THAT sounds relaxing," Pan said, smiling.  
  
"I thought you might like this idea. We've arranged for you to be be fitted with an implant that will allow you to access the datumplane for information any time you may need it -"  
  
"Woah, wait a minute...an implant? As in impanting something INTO me?"  
  
"Yes, but I can assure you, it's quite painless and harmless."  
  
"Um, ok...and, can I have it removed any time I want?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Well, ok then. So...when do I start on my little tour of the web?"  
  
"First thing tomorrow. We will insert the implant tonight while you sleep, and then you will be free to go wherever you please when you wake up."  
  
Pan sighed and nodded her head. It sounded like it could be fun, but she was still slightly apprehensive about the whole implant thing. She did like the idea of being able to access the datumplane for information, however.  
  
"Ok," She said finally, "This will work. I'm tired though - I think I want to go to bed."  
  
"Very well," Arnem said with a smile, "We have set up a very comfortable living area for you."  
  
"Great."  
  
Pan followed Arnem into the 'room' the Technocore had created for her. The whole sense of falseness she was getting from the place was starting to fray her nerves, but she desperately needed sleep, and this would just have to do. She was still very pissed off about everything, but she hoped that her trip to the Web would give her some more answers. She was quite tired of getting the short end of the stick, and she was somewhat confused as to why she wasn't demanding to be sent home.  
  
Pan sighed - it was because of the threat they had mentioned. She just couldn't take the chance with it. She had to be responsible.  
  
--------  
  
If the Organic Entity could have sighed, it would have. It had no control over the situation anymore, and had barely managed to pull the man, Trunks was his name, out of his own time period before the other Artificial Entity had claimed him. It had been a violent battle for control, and all had nearly been lost.  
  
The Organic Entity had very little control over the matter, and it was infuriating - it's counterpart, the one it had warred with for possession of Trunks, had its blasted Technocore to dictate it's whims to. The Organic Entity had no such luck. Everything from here on out would be left up to chance. It could only hope that Trunks would be able to figure things out on his own. There was no way for the Organic Entity to speak to him. He had purposely placed him in the position to be saved by the Ousters, but if Trunks failed grasp the situation, all would be lost.  
  
The Organic Entity knew that the Technocore was furious - it had ruined their calculations and sent their variables spiraling out of control. This was the only satisfaction it could gain from the whole mess. They still had the upper hand in the matter, but at least the Organic Entity had won a small battle against the artificial world.  
  
--------  
  
A/N: Still confused? Man, I hope not, at least not TOO much....anyway, later folks! I'll try to have the next chapter out in a few days.  
  
Also, thanks so much to the folks who reviewed chapter 1 :  
  
lija and Go10  
  
THANKS!!!! 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer : I do not own DBZ or Hyperion  
  
A/N : Well, this took a little longer than usual to get written, but I was on spring break and decided to sleep instead of write! Now I'm back at school and ready to put off my homework….  
  
** … ** = thoughts  
  
------- = scene change, time change, ect.  
  
[ … ] = AI speech (except when the AI's are in human form)  
  
  
  
----  
  
"Ok, so you're telling me that they're both fine?"  
  
"Yes Mrs. Briefs, Trunks and his wife are in good hands."  
  
Bulma glared at the image of the man in front of her. He had small smile wrinkles around his amber eyes, and his silver hair was fashionably cut and clean – he was just the type of person that one could trust.  
  
And that was precisely why Bulma was suspicious.  
  
"If they're really fine, then tell me where they are, and who you are," Bulma said.  
  
"I'm afraid that is classified information, ma'am – even this communication with you is slightly risky. I worked very hard to get permission to talk to you, but all I am allowed to do is assure you of their safety."  
  
** Wrong answer, buddy, ** Bulma thought heatedly, ** Now I REALLY don't trust you. **  
  
"Very well," Bulma said sweetly, though she was really at her most dangerous, "I think I can trust what you say for now. There's not much I can do about it anyway."  
  
** Like hell there isn't, ** Bulma thought.  
  
The silver haired man smiled warmly and nodded in agreement.  
  
"I'm glad that you aren't upset about all of this. I truly apologize for their sudden abduction, but you can be certain it is for a good cause."  
  
"When will they be back?"  
  
"That is also classified, I'm afraid."  
  
** Why doesn't THAT surprise me? ** Bulma thought.  
  
"Well," She said aloud, "They'd better come back in one piece."  
  
"Don't worry ma'am, they will be fine," the man said and abruptly cut off the communication.  
  
"Damn it…what a bastard!" Bulma exclaimed and slammed her fist down on the console. "Who do these people think they're dealing with, anyway?"  
  
"What are you yelling about, woman?"  
  
Bulma spun around in her chair at the sound of Vegeta's voice.  
  
"I just found out what happened to Trunks and Pan…well, kinda."  
  
"What do you mean, 'kinda?' "  
  
Bulma sighed – Vegeta was going to be angrier than her by the end of this.  
  
"Well, this weird silver-haired guy just called me on the video phone. He said he knows where they are, and that they're fine, but he wouldn't tell me anything else. And, the damn bastard expected me to trust him!"  
  
Vegeta crossed his arms and grunted.  
  
"So, woman, what do you plan to do about this?"  
  
"I see YOU don't have any ideas," Bulma said with a grin. Vegeta just frowned and waved his hand towards her dismissively.  
  
"Well," she said with a sigh, "the only thing I can do right now is scan for unusual energy signatures. I'm pretty sure that they were in their part of the compound watching a movie last night, so I'll start there."  
  
"Whatever, just get on with it."  
  
"I will, but YOU'RE going to help," Bulma said, and tossed a remote control into Vegeta's hands.  
  
"That's broken," she said with a smile, "and I'm going to need to it operate the energy scanner."  
  
"WHAT energy scanner?"  
  
"The one I'm going to build, of course!"  
  
"How am I supposed to fix a remote for something that doesn't exist?"  
  
Bulma ran her hand through her hair and rolled her eyes.  
  
"It goes to one of the servant bots – if you fix it, it'll be much easier for me to modify later. Besides, it'll keep you from hovering over my shoulder while I build the energy scanner!"  
  
Vegeta grunted and headed over to a workbench. He didn't really mind working with electronics; it was just fun to make Bulma mad.  
  
Bulma shook her head and sat down at her own bench to work. She didn't know what type of energy they were looking for, or if that was even what they SHOULD be looking for, but she had to try something. She was not a woman to be trifled with, especially when her family was involved.  
  
------  
  
"Ummmm, Raz….I think we should get out of the boat."  
  
Trunks' face was extremely white as he stared at the huge waterfall ahead of them. Raz, however, didn't seem the least bit concerned. Trunks bit his lip – he didn't know how they got the water and the boat to stay connected to each other in zero gravity, but he had a definite sense of up and down, and the waterfall ahead of them was definitely DOWN.  
  
"What are you worried about Trunks? You can fly."  
  
"I'm just not used to this place – I don't know what they hell I can do anymore," Trunks said and closed his eyes, feeling his stomach lurch as the boat fell over the edge of the water. He expected to feel himself falling, but instead, he felt exactly as he had before the boat had gone over the waterfall. Trunks opened his eyes and saw Raz grinning at him widely.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Nothing," Raz said, laughing.  
  
Trunks looked behind him and noticed that the water seemed to drop off in another waterfall, but that was where they had just come from. Somehow what was up and down had managed to reorganize after they had gone over the edge.  
  
"This place…..I just….damn….." Trunks stuttered. Raz's smile never left his face, and he patted Trunks on the back heartily.  
  
"Don't worry Trunksie, you'll figure out all the secrets eventually."  
  
Trunks groaned at the nickname, and briefly wondered why Raz had taken such an interest in him. He was very much an outcast in the colony, and he had gotten more than one odd look, but still Raz stayed by him, defending him when necessary.  
  
"Ok man, I have to ask you something," Trunks said, regaining some of his lost composure, "Why are you taking care of me like this? I mean, I guess I just figured you people would lock me up or something since I'm different."  
  
At this Raz's face turned serious.  
  
"Honestly Trunks, there are some who would very much like to lock you up, but it's just not the way we do things," Raz sighed and softened his expression a little, "You see, Weiru and I were sent to your medical pod because we're the heads of security for this sector of the Biosphere. I'm still assigned to watch you, but I wouldn't want to leave if they made me. You're a cool guy, and I know you aren't here to trash the Sphere. Besides, we've had Web humans here before as honored guests. Once people get to know you, there won't be a problem at all."  
  
Trunks nodded at this information – he had thought it odd that these people were just letting him gallivant all over the place.  
  
"You know I'm not a Web human, right?" Trunks said, debating whether or not he should tell Raz what he really was.  
  
"Well, you sure look like one."  
  
Trunks sighed – these people trusted him, and they had saved his life. He had to tell Raz what he was.  
  
"Look, Raz, there's something important I need to tell you about myself. I realize that your security is probably pretty lax in regards to one human, because there is no way one human could harm this huge place…" Trunks broke off for a moment and regarded Raz's confused expression. He sighed and continued.  
  
"But the thing is, though it's true that I'm not a Web human, I'm not really a human either."  
  
Raz blinked in confusion and shock.  
  
"What are you talking about?" The red-haired Ouster asked.  
  
"I don't know how much your people know about alien life, but I'm actually only half human. The other half of me is a race known as the Saiya-jin."  
  
"Saiya-jin? Never heard of 'em."  
  
"Well, my father is the only one of them left. Saiya-jin look just like humans, only they are extremely powerful and very strong."  
  
"So, you're saying that you could destroy this whole place if you wanted to."  
  
Trunks sighed – he may have just bought a ticket to a dungeon.  
  
"Yes, I could."  
  
Raz put his hand to his chin, apparently lost in thought. They stood in silence for several minutes, Trunks worrying about his fate all the while. Finally Raz looked at him and smiled.  
  
"Well, this just makes my day!" He exclaimed, "Trunksie, my boy, I'd say you just earned the trust of the whole Ouster legion!"  
  
"What?" Trunks said, confused.  
  
"We already knew that you had Saiya-jin blood – the docs ran some tests while you were out cold. I didn't want to lie about not knowing what a Saiya-jin was, but I wanted to see if you were gonna tell me everything."  
  
"Woah, wait a minute…" Trunks said, feeling somewhat violated. Raz just laughed and clapped a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Relax man," Raz said happily, "We had to perform the tests to save your life. You'd lost a lot of blood, and we had to synthesize more to inject into you. The docs really just stumbled across the information. The next test was to see if you would tell us what you really were. I realize this probably makes you trust me a little bit less, but it was standard protocol."  
  
"Well, I'm a little creeped out, but so far I've seen nothing but good things in this place. The fact that you've shown me so much when you knew what kind of power I had is reassuring. I have to ask though, how do your people know what the Saiya-jin are?"  
  
"Well, we actually have very little information on the Saiya-jin race. However, we possess many of the personal and scientific records of the person who created the faster-than-light propulsion system we use in our ships, and she had some dealings with the Saiya-jin."  
  
"She? What was this woman's name?"  
  
"Why, Bulma Briefs, of course! I can't believe you didn't know about her invention! It saved the human race during the exodus! The accident, of course, occurred hundreds of years after her death, but her engine system allowed everyone to escape safely."  
  
Trunks was only listening to Raz with half an ear….he was still in shock from hearing his mother's name.  
  
"Ok, you said BULMA Briefs, right?" Trunks asked shakily.  
  
"Yes, of course."  
  
"You wouldn't happen to know anything about her family, would you?"  
  
"Umm, well….all we could gather from her personal records was that she was married to a very powerful Saiya-jin."  
  
"Oh boy…." Trunks blinked and wiped some sweat from his forehead, "And….and she lived back BEFORE the huge exodus you keep talking about? The one that was like 300 years ago?"  
  
"Yeah, duh."  
  
Trunks understood everything now, and he was incredibly angry with himself for not figuring it out earlier. He was in the future – WAY in the future, and his mom was a legend! This was almost too much for him.  
  
"Ok, Raz, you're really gonna think I'm crazy, but……Bulma Briefs is my mom."  
  
"What? You're right; I do think you're crazy."  
  
"It's true, Raz. She's my mother, and a Saiya-jin named Vegeta is my father. He is the last survivor of the Saiya-jin race, and I'm here from the past."  
  
** Kami, I really sound like a nutball, ** Trunks thought unhappily.  
  
Raz looked at him with an odd expression on his face. Trunks knew the Ouster would never believe his crazy story – it sounded preposterous even to him.  
  
"Well, Trunks," Raz said after a long pause, "What you're saying IS pretty farfetched, but I've seen some really weird things in my life. I think I'll just give you the benefit of the doubt on this one….after all, we still can't figure out how you could've been floating around on an asteroid in the middle of space. You were hundreds of light years from any habitable planets, and there were no ion trails around to suggest that you'd been dropped off by a spaceship."  
  
"Really? I mean, I know time travel is possible – heck, my mom invented a time machine, but how could I have traveled through time without one?"  
  
"Your mom invented a time machine?"  
  
"Yeah…well…..my mom from the future did, and an alternate version of me came into the past and warned us about some androids that were gonna attack us, and it created an alternate reality….but my mom, ummm…the one from my time, she invented one too….kinda…"  
  
Raz blinked, totally confused once again.  
  
"Ok….well, I realize that is a very long story," Raz said, "I'll just let you tell it to me later, I guess."  
  
Trunks laughed.  
  
"Yeah, it's pretty crazy. Hell, I've got a bunch of stories I could tell ya – I've got a couple where my dad and this guy Goku saved the whole universe!"  
  
Raz laughed at Trunks' renewed enthusiasm – he hadn't expected him to appreciate the tests that were performed on him, but at least he still looked upon Raz as a friend.  
  
"Hey Trunks, you want to see what Ousters do for fun?" Raz asked with a sly grin.  
  
"Sure!" Trunks said.  
  
"Ok, once we get this stupid boat to a dock, I'll take you up to the Outer Rim."  
  
"Outer Rim, huh? Sounds exciting."  
  
"You have no idea," Raz said, smiling.  
  
------  
  
~ The Web consists of 100 billion human beings. It is governed by a complex democratic system known as the All Thing, and headed by CEO Meina Gladstone. Gladstone is a renowned diplomat, and she has been elected to 3 consecutive terms of office. The Web is home to millions of different cultures, religions, and ethnic groups, and there are billions of restaurants, hotels, spas, resorts, clubs - ~  
  
"ENOUGH!" Pan exclaimed, praying the implant would shut the hell up. She had not yet learned how to use it properly, and its incessant babble about every little question she had in her head was starting to drive her batty.  
  
"Relax, Pan," Arnem said sweetly, "You will be able to control it soon. It just takes some getting used to."  
  
"Ugh, well, it's driving me crazy. You didn't tell me this thing would be hard to use!"  
  
Arnem laughed quietly – it was probably meant to soothe Pan, but it only served to infuriate her more. All she wanted was for the implant to shut up unless she wanted it to speak  
  
~ The XG 20076 cerebral implant is a very delicate and sophisticated instrument. It will answer any and all questions you may have about the universe. It is currently set in 'perceptive' mode. Would you like to change the mode? ~  
  
"What other modes are there?"  
  
~ You do not need to address the implant aloud. There are several modes for you to choose from: 'perceptive,' 'infrared,' 'All Thing direct link,' 'dataumplane shunt,' and 'quiet.'  
  
** QUIET. **  
  
~ As you wish. ~  
  
"Thank Kami," Pan said with a sigh.  
  
"You have figured it out, then?" Arnem asked.  
  
"Yeah, no thanks to YOU."  
  
"Wonderful, then I suppose you would like to begin your trip through the Web?"  
  
"Yeah, you supposed right."  
  
Arnem smiled and handed Pan a white card. It had the word 'Universal' written across it in gold letters, and on the back was a magnetic strip.  
  
"I see that the credit card never went out of style," Pan said.  
  
"That is not like the credit cards from your time. It will allow you to use any of the public farcaster terminals in the Web, and it will also allow you to purchase anything you may wish to buy."  
  
"ANYTHING? You mean, I could buy a spaceship if I wanted to?"  
  
"Yes, you can buy anything you want with that. It has no limit."  
  
"Awesome!" Pan grinned and looked at the card. If these bastards were gonna make her stay in their time, they would certainly pay for it.  
  
"Well, now that you have your card, let's be going then. Your implant will be able to identify any world you set foot on, as well as any restaurant, shop, bar, hotel, club, or any other place you decide to go. You have one week to explore, and then you must return to the dataumplane. Your implant will tell you the code to enter to get here."  
  
"Yeah, great…whatever," Pan said. Arnem just smiled and swept his hand downwards, revealing a shimmering silvery portal next to him. Pan sighed and walked up to it, passing her hand into it experimentally. It tingled a little, but it seemed safe enough. Finally, with one deep breath, Pan stepped through the portal into intense sunlight.  
  
She blinked and tried to adjust her eyes to the bright light. The datumplane had artificial sunlight, but it was too fake to be this intense.  
  
** Ok, you stupid implant, where am I? **  
  
~ This is the planet Osiru. It is one of the smaller, more arid planets in the Web. The food is said to be excellent. ~  
  
** Hell yeah, ** Pan thought happily. She looked around at the other people coming and going from the farcaster terminals. Many of them had on long robes, probably to keep out the sand on this apparent desert world. The farcaster terminex opened onto the main road of the town, and Pan decided it would be the best place to start looking for food.  
  
The buildings were made of mud brick and thatched grass, and Pan got a very primitive and historical feeling from the whole place. She liked the market atmosphere the street had; the bustle of the people bartering for goods was intriguing.  
  
Finally Pan came across a building with wonderful smells wafting through the windows. The sign on the front claimed 'The Best Ribs on the Planet,' and Pan knew it was the place for her. Whipping out her Universal card, Pan made her way into the small building.  
  
The inside was much more sophisticated than the outside, and Pan was surprised when a robotic waiter sped over to her and led her to a booth in the back. Her mouth began to water with anticipation as another robotic waiter passed her booth with a huge pile of meat.  
  
"I'll have 6 orders of ribs," Pan said, rubbing her belly. The robotic waiter bleeped in acknowledgement and sped off into the kitchen.  
  
** All right, ** Pan thought, ** No weird looks or questions about my appetite. I could get used to this place. **  
  
Several minutes later, the robot returned with Pan's order. She told him to keep an eye out, because she would probably be wanting seconds. She finished the ribs in record time, and quickly ordered more. It was the best barbecue she had ever had, and she wasn't about to leave without stuffing herself.  
  
Pan left the small restaurant as a very happy, very full Saiya-jin, but she was also extremely tired from all her eating. She decided to find a decent hotel and take a nap. She asked her implant what the best hotel on the planet was, and it led her to a place called 'The Sleeping Duck.' Pan thought it was a rather silly name, but when she entered the large brick building, she understood why it was considered the best. The inside foyer was adorned with several large wooden sculptures, and the stairway leading up to the rooms was beautifully carved from what looked to Pan like mahogany. The desk, which sat in the middle of the spacious lobby, was also carved mahogany.  
  
"How may I help you, ma'am?" The clerk asked politely.  
  
"I'd like a room for the night," Pan said with a smile.  
  
"Of course. What type of room would you like?"  
  
"The most expensive one you have," Pan said wickedly. The clerk smiled and pulled out a key card.  
  
"This is the key to the presidential suite. I think you will like it very much."  
  
"Thanks," Pan said and handed the clerk her Universal card to be swiped.  
  
She made her way up the beautiful steps and found her room easily. It was set off from the other rooms, and it had two ornately carved doors leading into it. Pan opened them with a flourish, and was greeted with the most beautiful, luxurious room she had ever seen. The bed was an extra-large king size (Pan didn't even know they made those!) and it was just as ornately carved as the rest of the room. There was a sitting area with a huge TV-like contraption, and Pan could see that the bathroom was almost as large as the bedroom. She practically hopped in excitement when she found the enormous jacuzzi tub.  
  
** THIS is awesome. Maybe I should trust those damn computers…** Pan thought icily, and plopped herself down on the bed.  
  
** Well, whatever…right now I'm just gonna enjoy myself. They'll have to do more than pamper me to earn my trust. **  
  
Pan sighed and snuggled under the covers. It was still early in the day, but she had eaten so much that her body demanded a nap. She was also starting to get a little depressed because she missed Trunks and her family, so sleep would be a good diversion from that. Smiling, Pan pulled the covers up to her chin and drifted off to sleep.  
  
--------  
  
[ Well, have you found the man?]  
  
[ Yes, and it is very bad indeed. ]  
  
[ How so? ]  
  
[ The Ousters have him. ]  
  
[ That is unfortunate. And who took him? ]  
  
[ We are still not certain. The Intelligence thinks there may be a challenging force. ]  
  
[ Another Ultimate Intelligence? This was NOT in the variables. ]  
  
[ No it wasn't. It's all because of the man – we cannot predict what will happen any longer. ]  
  
[ That does not mean we cannot control what will happen. Everything will still go as planned. ]  
  
[ Yes, it will. ]  
  
------  
  
  
  
A/N : Yay, another chapter done. It's a pretty long one too!  
  
Thanks to SuperVidel for reviewing chapter 2! Even though I haven't gotten that many reviews for this story, I still feel like I should thank everyone who reviews.. .so… thanks!!!!  
  
:) 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own DB/Z/GT  
  
A/N : Well, sorry it took me so long to get this out...I've been really busy as of late. Since it's been so long, and this story is somewhat complicated, I will provide a recap.   
  
1. Trunks and Pan are mates, and they have been ripped apart and sent 500 years into the future by two unknown entities, one Organic, and one Artificial.   
  
2. Pan has been told by the Technocore, a race of Artificial Intelligences, that she has been brought to the future to save all of existence...they just can't seem to tell her how to do it. She is currently exploring the human civilization known as the Web.   
  
3. Trunks, however, is currently in an Ouster colony. Ousters are humans, but they have adapted to life in zero-gravity, and are enemies to the Web.  
  
4. Trunks has very little idea what is going on...all he knows is that he is in the future, and an invention of his mother's helped to save the human race when the Earth was destroyed.  
  
5. Bulma and Vegeta, still in the...present, I guess you could say.....are aware that Trunks and Pan are missing, and are working to find them, even though they have been 'assured' that they are fine.  
  
Also, here is a list of terms: (some of these are redundant from the above list)  
  
farcaster - what connects the various Web worlds....step through one on Planet A, and you are immedately on Planet B, no matter how many light years away it is. You can choose which of the thousands of planets in the Web you wish to travel to.  
  
Technocore - a race of Artificial Intelligences, which evolved from the first computer programs into sentient life.  
  
Ousters - humans, but they have adapted to life in zero-gravity, and are enemies to the Web.  
  
Church of the Final Atonement (also know as the Shrike Church) - A radical religious group which worships the Shrike, a monster that lives on the planet Hyperion. They also sponsor the Shrike pilgrimage to that planet. They have billions of followers, as well as temples on almost every world in the Web.  
  
Hyperion - a backwater, non-colony world that is host to the Shrike pilgrimage, as well as various other odd phenomena (you'll see later what I mean!)  
  
  
**...** = thoughts  
  
[ ... ] = AI speech  
  
------ = scene change, time change, ect.  
  
OK, that's enough......too long for it's own good if you ask me. Now, on with chapter 4...  
  
  
------  
  
"HOLY SHIT!" Trunks could not think of anything else to say as he stared at the scene stretched before him. He had totally underestimated Raz's explanation of the the Outer Rim - it wasn't 'exciting' - it was downright breathtaking.  
  
They were outside of the Biosphere - on top of it really. The inside of the place was magnificent enough - millions of vines, trees, enormous red and blue flowers, and various other plants entertwining to create walls, hallways, buildings, platforms, and everything else a person could imagine....Trunks had felt like he was in Heaven the first time he laid eyes on the inner Biosphere. But now...if the inside was Heaven, what was this? The entire Sphere was spread out before him, surrpunded by the vast vacuum of space; he was awestruck by it's enormity.  
  
The pod Raz and Trunks shared floated leisurely above the green mass of plant life, and Raz sighed happily as he gazed at the wonders of his home.  
  
"I really love coming up here," He said, more quietly than Trunks had ever heard him speak. Trunks grinned at Raz's wistful countenance, but he couldn't help but feel a little homesick, staring at the green beauty below him. It was certainly wonderful, but for Trunks, nothing could ever replace the beauty that was Earth. It stung him greatly that the Earth no longer existed in this time, but what upset him more was that he could not figure out a way to get back to the past, and possibly prevent that destruction from ever happening. He knew, of course, that he would create an alternate reality, but any reality with the Earth in it, to Trunks anyway, was a reality worth creating.  
  
Getting home, though, that was the biggest problem. He wanted to be home more than anything in the universe, and he missed Pan more than he would have thought possible. Clearly the Ousters had no such ability to travel through time, nor did they have any desire to figure it out. He didn't even know if they had the kind of technology he would require - they were advanced, certainly, but Ouster technology served the needs of Ousters, not some rogue time-traveling hybrid. They were quite kind to him, but he didn't feel comfortable asking them to try to build a time machine - it just didn't seem right, somehow. The machines they used were simply to promote animal and plant life, and to fight with the Web humans, if necessary. Another problem was the lack of computers - Trunks knew that a computer was absolutely necessary in the construction and operation of a time machine.  
  
"Ok, now for the fun part," Raz said, breaking Trunks out of his silent reverie.  
  
"Fun part? I could do this for hours," Trunks said. Raz laughed and reached into a small compartment in the side of the pod.  
  
"This," he said, holding up a small silver blob, "Is why Ousters come up to the Outer Rim."  
  
Trunks examined the blob curiously. It looked like a a very large ball of mercury, only Trunks figured Raz wouldn't be holding it with his bare hands if that's what it really was. Suddenly, Raz tossed the ball of liquid metal at Trunks' face. Trunks dodged it easily, but was shocked when it turned back on him in mid air and smacked right into the back of his head.  
  
"AAAUGH! Get it off!" He yelled as the liquid metal began to engulf his face.  
  
"Just chill, Trunks. It won't hurt you."  
  
"Like hell it won't! I'm gonna suffoca...mmmughnmmmfff!" Trunks couldn't speak as the blob covered up his mouth and nose completely. He had no idea why Raz was trying to kill him now - he had seemed so nice...  
  
"Just breathe normally," Raz laughed as Trunks struggled to pull the blob off. Trunks tried to relax, but the thing wrapping itself around his face wasn't helping much. He was instinctively claustrophobic, and this was epitome of being closed in. He found, however, that even though the blob had worked its way into his mouth, he could still breathe if he tried. He had just been too freaked out earlier to notice.  
  
The metal spread itself down Trunks' neck and began to cover his torso. It gave him a creepy feeling, but he was a little calmer now that he could breathe. Soon, his entire body was engulfed in the quicksilver metal - Trunks raised his hands to his face in awe and confusion.  
  
"I can still see through this stuff." Trunks said quietly, "And...and it doesn't hurt. I really can't even feel it anymore."  
  
"That's the beauty of it," Raz said with a smile, "Now, watch me." He opened the compartment and took out another blob. He lifted it over his head, and Trunks watched in amazement as the metal conformed itself to Raz's body.  
  
** Wow, that looks pretty cool, ** Trunks thought, ** I'm sure I looked like an idiot trying to yank it off of me the whole time. **  
  
"There," Raz said simply. All of his features were now a glimmering silver metal - Trunks was quite impressed with the new look.  
  
"I guess I look neat like that too," Trunks said with a metallic smile.  
  
"Yeah, these suits are great. They're actually alive, if you can believe that."  
  
"Wow," Trunks said, not sure he really liked the idea of wearing some kind of weird metal creature. Raz grinned at Trunks and looked him right in the eye, and Trunks got a little nervous. What was Raz up to? He was just about to ask that very question when Raz pressed a small button on the wall and the pod dissappeared.  
  
"YAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!" Trunks screamed as he realized he was now floating in the vacuum of space, with nothing to protect him or keep him alive. His mind was screaming about imploded lungs, bursted eyeballs, and various other nasty things that were about to occur to his body, but nothing happened. Trunks looked around in confusion, only to see Raz howling with laughter, grasping his stomach and kicking his legs happily.  
  
"You...are...SO funnY!!!" Raz said as he laughed. Trunks noticed that his voice was slightly tinny, like it was being transmitted to him.  
  
** Well, duh, stupid, ** Trunks thought, ** There's no sound in space, so it would HAVE to be transmitted to me. **  
  
"Ok, you COULD have told me about all this stuff, Raz!" Trunks yelled, more than a little upset with his friend. Raz laughed even louder and began to slowly spin in space as his body shook from amusement.  
  
"Oh, yeah, I could have told you, but where's the fun in that??" Raz said finally, once he had calmed down a bit.  
  
"NOT funny."  
  
"Haha! Yes it was! Yes it was! You should have seen the look on your face!"  
  
"I'm sure it was priceless," Trunks said sarcastically, "Now, how the hell are we still alive? There's no way these suits can filter out air in space...there IS no air!"  
  
"It's simple...they have oxygen stored in them. We can't stay up here forever, of course, but these suits have a charge of about 4 hours, which is plenty of time to explore."  
  
"How do we do that?"  
  
"Well, I'M going to use my wings," Raz said.  
  
"WINGS??" Trunks hollered, gawking in amazement as two huge, glimmering, crimson bat wings unfurled from Raz's back. They almost looked like they were ethereal - ready to wisp away at the first gust of wind; if space had any wind, that is.  
  
"Kami," Trunks said. This guy was just full of surprises. "Ok, then," he said, trying to compose himself, "How do I get around?"  
  
"Just fly....duh."  
  
Trunks rolled his eyes and did as he was told. Surprisingly, flying worked the same in vacuum as it did in atmosphere. Raz had already begun to float out over the surface of the Biosphere, using his wings to float on Kami-knew-what, and Trunks hurried to follow him.  
  
"I'm using solar radiation particles to propel myself," Raz said, picking up on Trunks' unspoken question, "Obviously I wasn't born with any wings - an energy generator was implanted in my back when I was a child so I could come up here. Most Ousters have it done, though, I must say, your ability to fly on your own astounds me. Maybe you could teach me some day?"  
  
"Maybe, but it's not a simple concept," Trunks said truthfully.  
  
"No I suppose not - everyone would be able to fly if it was."  
  
Trunks laughed.  
  
"You know," he said, "This is really damn cool. I can't believe you guys have built this place. It's incredible."  
  
"Yeah, it is." Raz said, in a mockingly arrogant tone.  
  
"Well, aren't we smug."  
  
"Always," Raz said.  
  
They flew in silence for some time, simply taking in their surroundings. Raz finally broke the calm with a question.  
  
"I guess you really miss your home, eh Trunks?"  
  
Trunks looked at Raz for a moment - his depression actually ran quite deep, but he had done his best to hide it in the time he had been with the Ousters. Obviously he had still been quite transparent.  
  
"Yeah, what gave me away?"  
  
"Ah, I can just see it on your face. I know you're in awe of this place, but it's not your home."  
  
"That's true. I miss Earth and my family so much. What makes it worse is that I have no idea why I got here or how to get back."  
  
"That really sucks. At first I was pretty skeptical about your whole 'I'm from the past' story, but now, I dunno..."  
  
"Well, yeah, it's farfetched, but it's true. I had a good life back home; a mate who loved me, parents who cared, even my dad, though he'd never admit it, and I was the head of a multi-billion dollar company. It doesn't get much better than that, even though I hated my job. I'd go back to it in a heartbeat if I could."  
  
"Wow, that's kinda cool. So, what's Earth like, anyway?"  
  
"Well, green...that's kinda why this Biosphere makes me a little depressed. I spent a lot of my childhood defending Earth, though I was never really the one to save it. I'd like to think I helped some, though. The thought of all of that being for nothing really bothers me."  
  
"Yeah, I'll bet. If anything were to ever happen to the Sphere, I think I'd have a coronary."  
  
"Shit, that would be awful. Trust me, I was on the Earth when it blew up the first time; it's not something anyone should have to experience."  
  
"What? Blew up the first time? What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
Trunks was pleased that he had thrown Raz for a loop - it was about time.  
  
"It's not really common knowledge. The Earth was detroyed by a monster known as Majin Buu when I was only 8 years old. I just happened to be there when it happened."  
  
"Well, ummm, I hate to tell you this, but that couldn't have happened, because you would be dead."  
  
Trunks laughed and proceeded to explain to Raz about Dragonballs and wishes and the like. Raz seemed excited to hear about the possibility of making wishes, but Trunks assured him that the Dragonballs were no more. They had disappeared along with Goku after their last battle.  
  
"Well, that sucks," Raz said.  
  
"Yeah, but it was for the best. We really got too complacent because of them. Dying was no big deal to anyone. Hell, I lost count how many times Goku died. I think my dad died twice."  
  
"This is all just fucking nuts," Raz said quietly. Trunks laughed.  
  
"I'm really glad I've finally got you back on your heels, rather than the other way around."  
  
"Don't worry, I've got plenty more up my sleeve," Raz said, recovering quickly.  
  
"Ha, whatever."  
  
It was just about this time that Trunks' suit started beeping quietly at him.  
  
"What's that?" He asked, slightly alarmed.  
  
"I'm not sure. We've got plenty of air, so it shouldn't be doing that yet."  
  
"Maybe we should go back." Trunks said apprehensively.  
  
"Yeah, maybe you're right," Raz said, just as his suit started beeping. "Dammit, what the hell? Did someone forget to charge these or something?"  
  
Raz continued to mumble to himself as they made their way back to the pods, but Trunks tuned him out as a large surge of energy bombarded his senses.  
  
** Woah, ** he thought, ** I've never felt anything like that before...**  
  
"Raz, I think something's about to ha -"  
  
Trunks was cut off as a huge flash of light blinded both of them for a short eternity. Raz cursed and retracted his wings, hoping nothing would be blasting towards them with that flash of light.  
  
"What's going on???" Trunks yelled.  
  
"I don't know!"  
  
"I can sense a huge source of energy!" Trunks said as the light receeded, "I've never felt anything like it before.....Raz? Raz, what is it?"  
  
Raz was staring past Trunks with a look of pure horror on his metallic face. Trunks whirled around quickly, and was met with the most terrifying sight of his life.  
  
There spread out over what seemed like hundreds of thousands of miles, was the largest, most menacing fleet of warships Trunks had ever laid eyes on.  
  
"FUCK!" Trunks screamed, grabbing onto Raz and blasting off as fast as he could, just as the entire fleet opened fire on the Biosphere.  
  
  
------  
  
  
A/N: Woah, cliffhanger! Nobody but Trunks in this chapter, sorry....he's the one with the exciting life at the moment, so...well, ya know. The next chapter will be out sooner than this one was, I think. I'm not gonna be as busy as I was the last couple of weeks. Also, thanks to Lady Tomboy for reviewing chapter 3. It was very much appreciated! 


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer : Don't own nothin'  
  
** … ** = thoughts  
  
[ … ] = AI speech  
  
------ = scene change, time change, ect.  
  
---------  
  
  
  
"LET GO OF ME, GODDAMMIT! I have to help them!" Raz struggled in Trunks' vice-like grip as energy beams whizzed past them at a blinding pace.  
  
"There's nothing you can do Raz!"  
  
"NO! I need to be there!" Raz tried even harder to squirm out of Trunks' grasp, but he was no match for the demi Saiya-jin. While Raz screamed and thrashed angrily against him, Trunks was busy dipping and dodging through space as fast as he could, trying desperately to keep Raz from being hit by energy beams. Trunks had already taken two blasts directly to his back, and he could feel his flesh sizzling underneath the quicksilver spacesuit.  
  
Another beam was headed straight for them, and Trunks had to power up to Super Saiya-jin to avoid being pulverized. He wasn't sure if the metallic suit could handle his energy, but he had no choice.  
  
"What the hell???" Raz screamed as Trunks began to radiate golden energy. The silver suit had also taken on a golden sheen in lieu of his transformation.  
  
"I'll explain later!" Trunks said, narrowly dodging a particularly large red beam.  
  
It had only taken one look at the Biosphere to make Trunks want to vomit – half of it was burning with white hot fire, and the other half was just….gone. There was nothing he or Raz could do at the moment but try to stay alive. Raz, however, had other ideas.  
  
"I have to be there Trunks!!! Those are my people! I might be able to help!"  
  
"No…listen Raz, if I let you go back there, you'll die."  
  
"So? I'll die out here too, goddammit! At least back there I'll die with all of them!"  
  
"No, Raz, I'm sorry. Death isn't the answer, and I might still be able to get us out of this alive."  
  
"Fuck you! Let me go!"  
  
"No, now shut up and hold still."  
  
  
  
-----  
  
Pan sighed and stretched as she woke up from her nap. It had been particularly refreshing, considering she had gone to bed on a full stomach. The bed clearly had the most comfortable mattress money could buy, and she was once again thankful for her Universal Card.  
  
"I could stay here forever," Pan said, thinking about the huge Jacuzzi in the next room.  
  
** Too bad I can't…I have to save all of existence in some unknown, impossible way. Damn, I hate being in the dark on stuff. **  
  
Pan sighed and plopped herself down on the extremely comfortable couch in the den area of the hotel room. She stared at the TV thing in front of her and wondered how the hell to turn it on.  
  
~Simply say that you want it to turn on, and it will. ~ Pan's implant said gently.  
  
** Hey, what the fuck? I set you to quiet mode! **  
  
~ You seemed to want to know very much how to turn the Holo-TV on. It is within the implant's parameters to judge what information is important to pass along. ~  
  
** Well, judge better next time! You scared the shit out of me! **  
  
~ Many apologies, of course. ~  
  
** Whatever. So, is there anything worth watching on this Holo-TV thingy? **  
  
~ The implant is not designed to known which holo-programs are considered quality material, but it can tell you which channels there are to choose from. ~  
  
** Piss on that – just shut up. **  
  
~ As you wish. ~  
  
"Um, Holo-TV thingy….turn on…" Pan said hesitantly, and was pleased to note that it did just as it was told. Pan was disgusted when first channel the TV tuned to was a very risqué porn channel.  
  
"GAH! Go to cartoons!" Pan said quickly, averting her eyes from the holographic, three dimensional sex. It looked like the people were actually in the room with her, going at it like there was no tomorrow.  
  
** Yeah, don't want to see that, ** Pan thought angrily, ** What kind of people stayed in this place last, anyway? **  
  
Pan shook her head and settled herself onto the comfortable couch to enjoy the cartoons of the future. She was quite surprised that they really weren't that different from the ones in her time.  
  
** Guess ya just can't improve on a good thing. ** Pan thought with some amusement. She was just starting to get settled and comfortable when a horrible sense of pain and foreboding shot through her mind.  
  
** Woah! Did you do that to me, implant?? **  
  
~ The implant did nothing, I can assure you. ~  
  
** Well, what the hell just happened, then? **  
  
~ There are no records of anything happening, Ms. Pan. ~  
  
** Well, SOMETHING happened! I just got this really weird feeling…kinda like I do when I'm in a really dangerous fight or something. **  
  
~ There is nothing dangerous in the vicinity. ~  
  
** Argh! Well, let me know if you pick up on anything. **  
  
~ Of course. ~  
  
Pan was mad – her good mood was quite spoiled after that weird little surge of emotion. Normally she would have chalked it up as something happening to Trunks that she sensed through their bond, but there WAS no bond anymore. She was too far away from him in time. She tried to shake off the feeling of foreboding that came with it, but she just couldn't, no matter how hard she concentrated on the cartoons on TV. Pan sighed and headed into the bathroom. Perhaps the Jacuzzi could help.  
  
------  
  
Trunks saw stars for a few agonizing moments. He had just smashed head- first into the front of a small warship, attempting to dodge the largest beam of energy he had ever seen. It had distracted him sufficiently enough to miss seeing the small spaceship heading right for him.  
  
He shook his head, trying to clear out some of the cobwebs. He could see the pilot inside looking on in shock as Trunks struggled to cling to the helm of his ship.  
  
** This may be our only chance, ** Trunks thought wildly as he started trying to climb over the back of the ship.  
  
"Trunks! What are you doing?" Raz said, still shaking his head from the painful impact.  
  
"Claiming this ship!" Trunks said as he located the words 'Air Lock' on the side of the ship. He pushed several of the buttons next to the words, and was eventually rewarded with a loud hissing sound. The hatch opened slowly, and Trunks threw Raz down inside, following him moments later. The air lock hissed shut, and Trunks braced himself for what he knew would be an assault by the crew of the small vessel.  
  
Raz looked severely freaked out, but once the door in front of them opened to reveal three armor-clad Web humans, his jaw set itself in a tight, intense line, and his eyes focused on the men in pure hatred. Raz's anger exploded, and he jumped at the nearest man, ignoring the huge energy rifle the man carried. He managed to get two good hits to the man's visored face before he was swatted away like a fly. The man raised the rifle and stuck it right in Raz's face. The other two soldiers pointed their guns at Trunks, but he ignored them.  
  
Trunks didn't allow himself any time to think about his actions – Raz was clearly about to get shot, and he couldn't let that happen. Aiming his hand at the armored human, Trunks shot a concentrated Ki blast directly at the man's chest. His two accomplices looked on in horror as the man, dressed in the highest-quality, strongest armor in the universe, slumped to the floor, dead.  
  
They quickly regained their senses, and shot their energy rifles at Trunks, ignoring Raz for the time being. Trunks cursed and lunged forward, dodging most of the beams. He felt two painful stings in his right arm, however, and he chided himself for being careless. Ignoring the pain for the moment, Trunks continued his advancement on the two men, punching each of them in the face once. It was more than enough to knock them unconscious, and Trunks was pleased he didn't have to kill anyone else. He almost wished he could kill them, though, considering what they and their people had just done to the Biosphere. Billions of lives had been ended that day, and Trunks could feel an immense anger welling up inside of him that he had never experienced before.  
  
A bright flash of energy caused Trunks to return to reality with a start. A split second later, the two men who lay before him unconscious were reduced to nothing but ash. Trunks spun around quickly and looked at Raz, who was pointing the energy rifle at the spot where they two men had been a moment ago, a crazed look in his eyes.  
  
"Raz….." Trunks said, but got nothing more out as Raz rushed out of the air lock with the rifle tight in his arms. Cursing, Trunks followed him, but stopped when he saw another flash of light – Raz had just taken out the pilot.  
  
Trunks ran over to his friend, who was looking around wildly for someone else to kill. He wasn't sure what state of mind Raz was in, and he didn't want to chance having the energy rifle fired at himself, so he quickly phased out and appeared next to Raz's side. Raz stared at him in astonishment for a moment, but then Trunks brought his hand down on the back of the Ouster's neck, and he slumped to the ground, unconscious. Trunks closed his eyes, trying to sense if anyone else was on the small ship with them, but he could feel nothing at all, so he relaxed a little.  
  
"Crap," Trunks muttered as the warship began to shudder erratically, probably from lack of pilot. Trunks sat down in the now vacant pilot seat and gazed at the controls, hoping he could make sense of them. He was astonished when he realized they were quite similar to the controls of the spaceship he had piloted in search of the Black Star Dragonballs. He knew that his mother was responsible for the ships they used in this time period, but he figured they would have changed at least SOME in 500 years.  
  
Pushing insightful and curious thought out of his mind for the time being, Trunks took control of the ship. He had no idea where he wanted to go, but anywhere but where they were sounded like a good start. Trunks stared at the only button he didn't recognize, and hoped to Kami it was the one that went to the hyper-faster-than-light engine, or whatever the hell they called it. Bracing himself against the seat, Trunks closed his eyes and pressed the button.  
  
A metallic ping began to resound throughout the cabin of the ship, and suddenly, Trunks was thrown gently back into his seat. At least, it was gently for a half Saiya-jin. Raz was thrown violently to the very back of the cabin, his unconscious body flopping about like a rag doll. Trunks rushed to the back of the cabin and retrieved Raz, placing him in the seat next to the pilot's chair and strapping him in tight.  
  
** Idiot….really should have done that BEFORE you started pushing buttons… **  
  
[ Choose your destination. ]  
  
Trunks was immensely startled by the disembodied voice coming from the wall.  
  
"What?" He said shakily.  
  
[ Choose your destination. ]  
  
"Umm, I don't know….where do you think we should go?"  
  
[ It is recommended that you return to the FORCE military base and turn yourselves in for interrogation. ]  
  
"Um, I'd rather NOT do that."  
  
[ Then I shall be forced to commandeer this vessel. ]  
  
By this point Trunks had realized that he was speaking to one of the notorious AI's that the Ousters hated so much, and he wasn't about to let some computer take over his newly acquired ship. Utilizing his extreme strength and inherited knowledge of electronics, Trunks deftly pulled off an access panel from the pilot console and began digging around inside for the AI's components.  
  
[ Cease this tampering at once, or you will be terminated.]  
  
"Shut up," Trunks said, smashing a very small diode between his index finger and thumb. The lights in the cabin flickered briefly, and then the entire system shifted itself into 'manual' mode, as indicated on the viewscreen on the console. Thoroughly pleased with himself, Trunks sat down once again in the pilot's chair and began to fiddle with the viewscreen. He had no intention of flying around in hyperspace forever without a destination – perhaps he would be able to find a map or something.  
  
Trunks rolled his eyes at this ridiculous assumption – he wouldn't find a map, no matter how hard he tried. He could only hope that Raz would be sane when he woke up, and would be able to direct them to….somewhere. Trunks didn't give a shit where, at the moment.  
  
Sighing, Trunks thought about Raz's reaction to the complete destruction of his home. He had taken it rather well, all things considered. Trunks' stomach dropped at the horror they had just witnessed, and barely escaped being a part of. Raz might never forgive him for saving his life, but Trunks had to do it – it was in his nature. Raz had become his friend over the past few days he had been with the Ousters, and Trunks had felt it his duty to save him because he had the power to do so.  
  
He just couldn't believe the Web humans would destroy something as beautiful as the Biosphere. Could they not see what they had done? It was a civilian world, dedicated to the promotion of life and peace – Trunks felt nothing but contempt for the people who had performed this act of terror. He missed Earth, certainly, but in the short period of time he had been there, he had come to love the Sphere and appreciate the hard work that had gone into its creation. Just thinking about it had made his heart swell with pride that human beings would one day evolve to create such wonders in the universe. But no, it was gone now – snuffed out of existence by other human beings. Unevolved, violent, idiotic human beings, relying on computers to do their thinking for them. Trunks wondered if any of them would even be able to fly this tiny warship in manual mode. Kami knew he could, and that was because they hadn't bothered to improve on a design that was created 500 years in the past!  
  
Trunks could tell he was working himself into a livid state, and he took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves a little bit. There was no way he could deal with an insane Ouster if he wasn't in control of himself first. Trunks blinked as he realized that he and Raz were still wearing their metallic space suits. Trunks couldn't believe he had forgotten about it, and he had no idea how to get it off. He also had several injuries he could tell needed to be looked at, but there wasn't much he could do without Raz.  
  
Sighing, Trunks settled himself back into the pilot seat to wait. There was no telling how long his friend would be out cold.  
  
-----  
  
A/N : Well, Two chapters in two days….how very unlike me! Looks like Trunks and Raz are on the move! For the next chapter, look for Pan to have some interesting experiences….and what about that energy scanner that Bulma's making?  
  
To those of you who reviewed Chapter 4:  
  
Z, Lady Tomboy, and Sutaseiu  
  
Thank you so much!!! Your feedback is awesome! 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own DB/Z/GT, nor do I own Hyperion…..  
  
A/N : All, right…here we go. Pan's just asking for trouble in this chapter…she's had it way too easy. Also, don't worry…this IS a T/P fic, though they may not be seeing each other for a while. Sorry about that, but it's just how this story is setting itself up to be. Ohhhh yeah…I also forgot to mention this earlier….this story takes place after Dragonball GT, and for those of you who don't know this, there aren't any more Dragonballs. They disappeared along with Goku in the very last episode. Therefore, Bulma and Vegeta can't just wish Trunks and Pan back….  
  
** … ** = thoughts  
  
[ … ] = AI speech  
  
------ = scene change, time change, ect.  
  
  
  
  
  
------  
  
"Vegeta! Stop hovering over my shoulder!"  
  
"I'll do as I please, woman!"  
  
"You always say that! Get the hell out of here!"  
  
"No. I'm not leaving until this damn energy scanner is finished. I fixed the remote, now YOU fix the machine!"  
  
"I will, but it'll go a lot faster if you leave…me…alone!"  
  
Bulma was starting to see red – the kinks in her latest invention were not working themselves out smoothly, and she had been up for 48 straight hours trying to finish the damn thing.  
  
"You should have finished this days ago!" Vegeta said angrily. He knew it was a bad idea to antagonize Bulma when she was frustrated and tired, but he was in practically the same state as she was.  
  
Normally Bulma would have had an acidic remark for her mate, but at that moment, the machine beeped and shuddered, effectively spasming itself to life.  
  
"Yes!" Bulma exclaimed, "I think I've finally got it!"  
  
"About fucking time," Vegeta said, stepping back from the workbench and crossing his arms.  
  
Bulma just ignored him and began adjusting dials on the bulky energy scanner. She would have preferred it be more compact, but she just didn't have time to develop the delicate circuitry that was required for a smaller device. Hefting it onto her shoulder, Bulma handed the remote control to Vegeta.  
  
"That's just for emergencies," she said as Vegeta glared at the small rectangular piece of plastic in his hand, "If this thing starts to billow out smoke or make weird noises, push the red button."  
  
"Usually your inventions are a bit less….primitive than this," Vegeta said with a frown.  
  
"There wasn't enough time to make it look pretty," Bulma said, realizing as she walked past a mirror in the hallway how silly she looked with the scanner up on her shoulder. It looked like she and her trusty bazooka were off to war.  
  
Vegeta just grunted at her cryptic comment and continued to follow her through the house.  
  
(A/N: If you are wondering, I didn't forget about Gohan and Videl…they are very worried about Pan and Trunks, but there is really no point in having them at C.C…..they can't do anything to help, and they would just be following Bulma around just like Vegeta is.)  
  
This trek went on for about an hour before Bulma began to get truly frustrated. She didn't even want to think about the anger welling up in her mate.  
  
"I've had just about enough of this, woman!" Vegeta said finally. Bulma sighed and placed the scanner on the floor, rubbing her aching shoulder once the heavy piece of equipment was off of it.  
  
"We're getting nowhere, with this," Bulma said, mostly to herself, "I just don't get it…how could the two of them just disappear like that? Nobody came here to kidnap them, or someone would have felt their ki."  
  
"Did it ever occur to you," Vegeta said, "that they could be dead?"  
  
Bulma shut her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. She got a headache EVERY time she thought about that.  
  
"Yes, of course it occurred to me," she said venomously, trying to cover up her anxiety, "But we still have to TRY and find them. If they aren't dead, they're more than likely in a place they don't want to be."  
  
"Fine, we keep looking, but I'm carrying the damn machine from now on." Vegeta said, picking up the scanner like it weighed nothing at all.  
  
"I'm surprised it took you this long to offer," Bulma said, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Just shut up."  
  
------  
  
[ They are starting to get closer….too close.]  
  
[ That is not for us to judge.]  
  
[ If they discover the truth, they could ruin everything.]  
  
[ Are you suggesting that we worry about two insignificant mortals?]  
  
[ The Ultimate Intelligence is concerned with mortals. ]  
  
[ I should have you taken offline for your insolence! The Ultimate Intelligence only wishes to perfect the universe. It uses mortals – it is not CONCERNED with them. ]  
  
[ You can do nothing to me. The two with the energy scanner should be eliminated. ]  
  
[ It cannot be done. We do as the Intelligence commands and nothing more. To interfere in its plans could do more damage than you know. ]  
  
[ More than those two finding out the truth? I think not. ]  
  
[ Your insolence is annoying. Perhaps I should report this insubordination? ]  
  
[ I do not fear your threats. I am Arzog, eldest of the Core – not some insolent child.]  
  
[ Yes, yes, and I am Pelcron, second eldest of the Core – that banter is tiresome. We are all the same here. ]  
  
[ You can believe what you wish. ]  
  
-------  
  
Pan was getting tired of Osiru. It was a nice planet and all, but she was ready to see what else the Web had to offer. Since she really didn't know what planets were available for her to choose from, she set the farcaster on 'random' before stepping through.  
  
She felt the characteristic tingle as she passed through the glowing portal, preparing herself to emerge onto an unknown world. As she stepped out, she felt a very tiny shift in gravity, though it was pretty much nothing to her. She blinked, expecting to need her eyes to adjust to sunlight, but instead, Pan was surprised to step out into a huge plaza, covered by a roof which reached up to unknown and incalculable heights. Pan had never seen a building so huge, and she simply gawked at it for several moments before she was shoved from behind by someone else trying to exit the farcaster terminal.  
  
"Outta the way, bitch!" A short, burly, ugly man grunted as he shoved past her.  
  
"Hey!" Pan shouted, but the man ignored her and disappeared into the crowd teeming about the plaza.  
  
"Ass hole…" Pan mumbled. ** Ok implant…not sure if I like this place…what is it?"  
  
~ This is the planet Lusus. You may have noticed the change in gravity as you came through the farcaster. This planet's gravity is 1.5 times that of Earth's. ~  
  
** Well whoopee… **  
  
~ Another interesting fact about this planet is that everything is either underground, or contained in enormous buildings known as Hives. No other planet in the Web can claim this type of distinction. ~  
  
**Why would people want to live underground? **  
  
~ It is necessary due to the nature of this planet's atmosphere. It is highly toxic. ~  
  
** Ah…ok shut up. **  
  
Pan wondered if she should even bother to stay in this place. It didn't sound very pleasant to her, and the idea of being trapped in a building, no matter how large it was, did not appeal to her at all.  
  
Pan sighed and walked out into the plaza. She wasn't going to be judgmental just yet.  
  
The shops and restaurants located on the perimeter of the huge plaza were somewhat similar to what Pan had seen on Osiru, only they did not have the same rustic feeling. Everything she encountered as she walked seemed very industrial and rigid, and Pan was feeling a bit uncomfortable. She wasn't exactly fond of things that were soft and cuddly, but this place was the complete, pointy opposite of that, and she wasn't sure she liked it.  
  
Pan took about twenty minutes to circle the plaza, hoping to find something that would make her visit to this dreary planet somewhat worthwhile. She was about to return to the farcaster terminex, having passed yet another set of scaffolding and exposed girders, when something just off the main concourse drew her attention.  
  
Pan wasn't certain what she had spotted at first – it had really just been a sharp reflection of light that had caught her eye. She walked towards where she thought the light had come from, deftly avoiding the short, stocky residents of Lusus as the made their way to and fro. As she neared the outer edge of the plaza, there were noticeably fewer people for her to bump into, and suddenly, as she removed herself from the plaza completely, she was all alone.  
  
Pan glanced around in mild alarm for a moment, but then she swiftly directed her gaze upward. Right in front of her was the most amazing and frightening building Pan had ever laid eyes on. It almost looked like a twisted version of a Gothic Cathedral, but it was made entirely out of enormous steel spikes. The façade of the building boasted a huge rose window, though it contained clear, grayish glass, rather than the vibrant colored glass Pan expected to see. The two giant spires that rose above the window were intertwined jaggedly, grasping onto each other with steel spines and hooks. Pan involuntarily took a step back as she laid eyes on the massive steel sculpture that was clearly the centerpiece of the whole building. It was a huge, four armed, steel spiked monster, placed in between the writhing spires. It was, perhaps, the most horrible thing Pan had ever seen in her life.  
  
"Ah, I see you are admiring our savior."  
  
Pan nearly jumped out of her skin at the voice. She whirled around, preparing to smash whomever had the gall to sneak up on her. She held back her fist, however, at the sight of the figure standing behind her. It was another short man, dressed in crimson and black robes. Pan could barely see his face – he had his head covered with a black cowl - but she could see that he was grinning at her. It made her very uneasy, but she didn't feel the need to beat him up – not just yet.  
  
"Who are you?" She asked venomously. The man's smile broadened and he opened his arms with a flourish.  
  
"I am the bishop of this fine church, young lady."  
  
"Church? THIS is a church? I mean…it kinda looks like a cathedral, but…" Pan trailed off as the man's smile faded.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you." Pan said quietly, wondering why she felt the need to apologize to this man.  
  
"It's quite all right, don't worry. I realize that this place can seem a bit frightening at times, but the god we worship is a vengeful one. It prefers this type of atmosphere for its followers."  
  
"Oh…I see. And um, what god do you worship then?"  
  
"Why, the Avatar, of course – the bringer of atonement and the Lord of Pain."  
  
"Woah….hey wait…did you say atonement?"  
  
The man chuckled at Pan's question, causing her to growl slightly in annoyance. She really did not like being mocked. He noticed her unease and raised his hand gently.  
  
"Don't be angry, I'm only laughing because it is rare to find someone who is ignorant of our organization. We are quite infamous throughout the Web, I'm afraid."  
  
"Well, I'm kinda new around here…maybe you could fill me in."  
  
"Of course, why don't you come inside with me and have some coffee."  
  
"Umm…I'm not a big coffee drinker."  
  
"Some tea, then?"  
  
Pan hesitated – she didn't like this man, and she really didn't like the building, but she also felt like she needed to know more about this 'atonement,' and the 'Lord of Pain.'  
  
"Ok, then. Lead the way," Pan said finally.  
  
The man took her inside the enormous building, leading her past yet another statue of the four-armed steel monster. This time Pan could clearly see its faceted crimson eyes, and a cold chill ran down her spine as she remembered the last time she had seen eyes like that – right before she had been taken to this kami-forsaken future.  
  
They made their way through the building, and Pan tried her best to stare at the man's back, instead of at the steel architecture. I made her more uncomfortable than she was willing to admit. They eventually got to what she presumed was the Bishop's office, and she took the seat he offered her.  
  
"The tea will be ready shortly," he said to her, finally removing the cowl from his head. Pan saw, for the first time, that he was a very old man, with only a few wisps of white hair on his otherwise bald head, and his face was marred by numerous wrinkles.  
  
"So, ummm.." Pan said, having difficulty breaking the cavernous silence that filled the room, "What did you mean by 'atonement?' What's the name of this church, anyway?"  
  
The man smiled and handed Pan a cup of tea. She ignored it and looked at the man intently.  
  
"We like to call ourselves the Church of the Final Atonement," he said finally, "but most non-believers know us as the Shrike Church."  
  
Pan pretty much expected this statement, and simply nodded her head  
  
"I thought that might be it. I'm actually kind of glad I found this place…maybe you can help me…"  
  
"How's that?"  
  
"Well, you see, I've been in contact with the Technocore, and they said that I am supposed to go on a pilgrimage that's sponsored by this chur – "  
  
"You're one of the chosen???" The man interrupted.  
  
"Well, uh, yeah, I guess so. But, I don't know anything about this pilgrimage, so I don't even know if I should go on it."  
  
"What's your name?"  
  
"Pan Briefs."  
  
"Ah, yes, I recognize that name. The Technocore has already processed your application."  
  
"Woah, wait a minute – I didn't agree to this yet."  
  
"Well, I'm afraid it's too late now. Once the invitation is accepted, it cannot be turned down. The penalty is death if you do not go."  
  
"Ok, this is getting fucked up. No one is gonna force me to go on this damned pilgrimage, no matter what. ESPECIALLY since no one will tell me one damn thing about it!"  
  
Pan was pretty much screaming now, completely ignoring the oppressing quiet she had felt before. Her rant was also attracting the attention of a cadre of priests and other dignitaries, who had arranged themselves outside of the bishop's office in mild alarm.  
  
"Now now, there's no reason to get upset," the bishop said, trying to get her to calm down. Pan growled and stood up from her chair angrily.  
  
"DON'T tell me what to do. I am so fucking tired of being confused. If you don't tell me everything you know about the Shrike pilgrimage right now – " Pan powered up a ki ball in her right hand, "I'll blow this dicked up cathedral rip-off back to the stone age!"  
  
"I'm afraid we can't do that." The Bishop said and raised his arm slightly. Pan cursed and got ready to blast the old man, but before she could follow through with her promise of destruction, she was struck from behind by a small blast of energy. Laughing at the weak attempt to stop her, Pan whirled to face her new attacker. However, before she could prepare to attack, her body began to disobey. Pan felt her legs go weak as another small energy blast hit her, this time from the side.  
  
"What's going on?" She gasped, falling to her knees.  
  
"It's just a stunner," The bishop said, walking out from behind his desk and kneeling beside Pan. "It's simply a precaution to keep people from harming this holy sanctuary."  
  
Pan tried to swing at the old man, but instead felt the rest of her strength leave her body. She glared at the man, growling in annoyance as her head hit the floor with a resounding smack. Unconsciousness took over before she could think about how much it hurt.  
  
-------  
  
Trunks was startled from a fitful sleep by the sound of rustling in the chair next to him. Raz must have finally come to.  
  
"Get these fucking straps off of me!" Raz screamed, struggling in the seat. The straps were easy to operate, but Raz had a look of pure madness in his eyes.  
  
"Raz, please, calm down.." Trunks said helplessly. He really didn't know what to do.  
  
"Calm down? CALM DOWN?????? How the FUCK can you expect me to calm down?"  
  
Trunks just gaped at him in silence. There was really nothing he could say to placate Raz – what COULD he say? The man's entire world had just blown up.  
  
"Get these straps off of me – I'm going back out there!" Raz said, still fumbling with the buckles.  
  
"We can't go back," Trunks said finally.  
  
'Why not???"  
  
"We're not in real space anymore – I somehow managed to turn on the hyper- engine thingy…"  
  
Raz turned slowly to the viewscreen and looked at the colorful whoosh of light that indicated that they were, indeed, traveling through hyperspace.  
  
"We have to stop! We have to go back and try to save them!"  
  
"Raz, there's no one left to save…" Trunks knew that probably wasn't the best thing to say to Raz in his state, but it was the honest truth. He expected the Ouster to lash out at him again, but instead Raz just continued to stare at the viewscreen. He stayed silent for several minutes before he turned to Trunks once again.  
  
"You should have left me out there," he said, his voice wavering slightly.  
  
"I couldn't. I'm sorry, but I don't leave my friends to die, no matter how much they want me to." Trunks sighed and turned away from Raz's piercing gaze. Even though his eyes were covered by the silver metallic space-suit, Trunks could still see the pain in them. An uncomfortable silence fell between the two, and they just sat there for several minutes staring blankly at opposite walls. Finally Trunks could take it no more.  
  
"Raz, listen, how, um….how do I get this spacesuit off?" It certainly wasn't the most sensitive thing he could have said, but he was starting to worry about his wounds developing gangrene.  
  
"It's easy, just place your index and middle finger on your right wrist and press down."  
  
Trunks did as he was told and the spacesuit immediately congealed into a tiny ball. Raz gasped as the full extent of Trunks' injuries came into view.  
  
"Holy shit, you look terrible…" he said quietly. Trunks looked down at himself and decided that he agreed with the Ouster. He was a mess. There were two huge gashes on his right arm from laser blasts, and his legs looked like someone had taken a cheese shredder to them. Now that the suit was off, his injuries were also starting to throb painfully.  
  
Raz, who had finally regained some of his sanity, removed himself from the offending seat restrains and turned off his own spacesuit.  
  
"I'll go find a med kit." Raz said and exited the cockpit.  
  
Trunks concentrated on taking deep breaths as Raz searched for medical supplies. For some reason his wounds had not hurt at all when he was wearing the spacesuit, but now that they were exposed to open air, the pain was awful.  
  
Raz returned several minutes later with a small box and some gauze. Trunks wondered momentarily what exactly the box did, but his question was answered when two small metallic arms extended from each side of it and began administering antiseptic to the wounds on his legs.  
  
Once the antiseptic had been applied to all of Trunks' wounds, the small robot began to stitch up the particularly bad cuts. It had numbed him for the pain, but Trunks felt a little nauseous watching the robot sew up his flesh. Once that was completed, Raz shut off the machine and wrapped Trunks' wounds thoroughly in gauze.  
  
"Thanks," Trunks said, once the last bandage was in place.  
  
"Uh, yeah, no problem." Raz said and sat down in the chair. Trunks sighed and turned to face the viewscreen. They were still zipping through hyperspace with absolutely no destination. Raz began to fiddle with some controls on the console in front of him, and then he furrowed his brow in confusion.  
  
"Hey, Trunks…what happened to the ship' onboard AI?"  
  
"I smashed it."  
  
"What? How did you know how to do that?"  
  
"This ship is almost identical to one that I flew back in my own time. Obviously no one has bothered to improve the design any. It wasn't too hard for me to find the main components of the AI."  
  
"Wow, so I guess you kind know how to fly it too?"  
  
"Well, uh, only when it's in regular space. I know absolutely nothing about hyperspace because my mom hadn't invented it yet. Right now we basically have no destination."  
  
"Oh, I see. Well, we'd better choose a place soon. It's not a good idea to stay in hyperspace too long unless you know where the hell you are."  
  
"Great. Just what I wanted to hear. So, where should we go?"  
  
"Good question. How about the Biosphere?"  
  
"Raz, we can't…."  
  
Trunks stopped as Raz flashed him a nasty look. Rubbing his face tiredly, Trunks continued.  
  
"Look, I don't think it's a good idea to go back there. There is probably still a whole shitload of Web spaceships swarming the place."  
  
"So?"  
  
"Look, I'm not going to let you kill yourself over this. There's a lot more you can do about it alive than dead. I can help you get your revenge, but only if you let me."  
  
Raz sighed and wiped a few tears from his eyes that he hadn't even known were there.  
  
"Ok, Trunks. You're right. Going back to the Biosphere would just get both of us killed. We need to go to the main command base and tell them what we know."  
  
"Do you know where that is?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Raz punched a series of buttons on the console and the colors on the viewscreen shifted abruptly.  
  
"It'll take about 2 hours to get there. Unfortunately, we'll accumulate about 2 days worth of time debt."  
  
"That sucks."  
  
"It could be worse."  
  
"What'll happen when we get there?"  
  
"They'll try to blow us up because this is a FORCE warship, but I think I can get a communiqué out before that happens."  
  
"Shit, I hope so. Assuming we survive that, then what?"  
  
"We'll have to tell them about the attack on the Sphere. I'm sure they know about it already, but they will want to hear a first-hand account. After that, I have no idea what they'll do with us. Well, actually, I just don't really know what they'll do with you."  
  
"That's reassuring."  
  
"Don't worry too much about it. I'll vouch for you."  
  
Trunks nodded and settled back in his seat. He had to attempt to relax for a little while to let his wounds heal. They had two hours to sit around and wait to get to this command center, and Trunks had a lot to think about. His first priority was trying to keep Raz from killing himself – he didn't trust the Ouster to keep his cool after what had happened. He also had his own life to worry about – the Ouster legion was not going to be happy to see someone who looked like a Web human when they got to the headquarters. Trunks was quite afraid they would blame the attack on him, and he wasn't sure if he would be able to escape if they tried to kill him. He was in unknown territory – he didn't know what the hell to expect anymore.  
  
------ 


End file.
